Page 63 of Played By Design

I shift in my chair, and one of the translucent plastic bunny ears on my headphones bumps the edge of the camera frame. The flesh-toned mask sits snug across the bottom half of my face, the painted black nose twitching as I play.

This is the first stream I’ve hosted since winning the Pulse Riot competition. I took time off leading up to it, then another three days after, which put me far enough behind on my contracted hours that I’m streaming on a Thursday. Kain grumbled about me needing a longer break, but a keyboard is different from a tablet, and I have sponsors to appease.

My character slides beneath the first swing. I pivot behind the attacker, drive both blades through its back, and use the execution animation to avoid the sniper shot coming from the balcony.

The shield unit charges.

I don’t move.

Chat scrolls across the right monitor at a speed most people couldn’t handle, but I read it in chunks between kills.

[17:23] Foxiefox: BUNNY MOVE

[17:23] SaltyPenguin: he’s doing the thing again

[17:23] ApexFarmer: new viewers!! he does this on purpose I swear

[17:23] CtrlAltDefeat: why is he just STANDING THERE

The shield unit reaches me.

At the last second, I sidestep.

It crashes into the wall.

“See?” I finish off the sniper. “You guys panic too much.”

[17:24] SaltyPenguin: I NEVER DOUBTED YOU

[17:24] Foxiefox: liar

[Notification] GlitchGremlin just subscribed!

[17:24] GlitchGremlin: tournament converted me lol

New names pepper the flow, unfamiliar handles mixed between the regulars. Tournament footage has been circulating for three days, and my viewership numbers have doubled.

More viewers means more subscribers. More subscribers means more money. More money means Kain can keep taking programming jobs because he wants them, not because we need them.

But I can think about all that later.

Right now, my job is to avoid getting hit.

A projectile streaks toward me from off-screen. I parry it without turning, sending it back into the last ranged enemy.

Room cleared.

NO DAMAGE flashes across the screen.

“Obviously.”

[17:25] LootGoblin92: OBVIOUSLY he says

[17:25] SweatyCasual: dude makes this game look broken

[17:25] JustOneMoreRun: no hit counter at 46 rooms wtf

I flex my hand while the next room loads. My ring finger is starting to drag, but Grave Circuit only needs it for my secondary ability. I’ve got at least another run in me.